BRATTLEBORO — Kids are the ultimate symbol of innocence. They represent the good in all of us, the good we want to be. They don't know of hatred, discrimination, lies, or murder. All they know is love. The warmth of hugs. The music of laughter.
To take that away from them, to strip them of everything they're sure of, is horrific.
Because after the shooting in Newtown, those kids now know of hatred and murder. They have seen some of the worst of humankind.
The faith and innocence that they had is gone, irreplaceable.
Every pan that drops, every door that slams, will always sound like a bullet.
Every PA announcement will send chills up their spines.
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As a student in a small town, you never expect that a shooting will happen. You go through the drills; you know where you would go. But you never really think that it will happen for real.
If you are a student and have forgotten what to do during a drill, you wouldn't have worried, because you wouldn't have thought it necessary to know. But the shooting in Newtown has proved to us students that it really is important.
Never take your safety, your life, or even your friends' and families' lives for granted.
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Pray for everyone affected by the shooting. Pray for the victims, the survivors, the families, and the people who now doubt their own safety. Keep them in your thoughts.